Latest On Colts’ OL Situation
After years of dominant offensive line play, the last season of offensive line coach Chris Strausser‘s tenure saw an uncharacteristically down year for the team’s position group up front. With Strausser now coaching for rival Houston, the Colts are hoping that Tony Sparano can get the line back on track. 
After the spring, it appears that the team has no plans to switch up the starting lineup with which they ended the 2022 season, according to Mike Chappell of FOX 59. Left tackle Bernhard Raimann, left guard Quenton Nelson, center Ryan Kelly, right guard Will Fries, and right tackle Braden Smith all return to start in 2023.
After starting his career in an elite manner, Nelson’s play has dropped slightly in the past two years. He’s still a Pro Bowl talent who is in no danger of losing his starting job, but after an extension that would make him the league’s highest paid guard at the time became inevitable, he’s gone from a top-three guard in the NFL to top-20, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Fries, a seventh-round pick from 2021, was asked to step up as a starter for the second-half of last season. It took him a bit to find his footing, but he displayed a few strong performances to end the season, and he’ll start the year opposite Nelson.
At center, Kelly has shown flashes of talent that have made him a top-10 center in the past. He bounced back after a dismal 2021 season but still didn’t quite reach the top-form we saw from him just a few years ago. His job should continue to be safe as backups Wesley French and Dakoda Shepley have a combined zero starts.
On the outside ends of the line, the team will aim to get Raimann and Smith a full year together. Raimann stepped up a few games into the season last year and performed admirably as a rookie at what is widely considered the toughest job on the line. Now, with 11 starts under his belt, Raimann is ready to not only perform but excel on the blindside in Year 2. Smith continues to be a bright spot on the line, even in a down year for the group. The only challenge with Smith seems to be keeping him on the field. Smith has missed nine games since the start of the 2020 season, and keeping him healthy throughout the year could be big for the integrity of the line.
The roster consistency gave Indianapolis the luxury of not needing to do much to address the position group this offseason. No big men were added in free agency, but the team added two rookies in the draft in fourth-round pick Blake Freeland out of BYU and seventh-round pick Jake Witt out of Northern Michigan. While Witt has an NFL frame that could help him contribute as a rookie depth piece if needed, he’s likely a project that needs a bit of time to develop. Freeland, on the other hand, looks a bit more NFL-ready and is expected to stand in as the team’s swing tackle as a rookie. If Smith does end up missing any time or Raimann experiences a bit of a sophomore slump, Freeland should be the first name off the bench to fill in.
So, that’s the situation heading into 2023. There’s a little concern over the lack of personnel adjustments after a disappointing performance in 2022, but there’s hope that consistency and a new face in the coaching staff will help push this group to its usual dominance. They also inserted that fresh blood that has potential to energize the line, if necessary.
Colts, G Quenton Nelson Agree To Four-Year Extension
The Colts were able to sneak in just under the buzzer, avoiding playing Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson this year on the final year of his rookie contract. Nelson and the Colts agreed to a “precedent-setting” four-year, $80MM extension that will include $60MM guaranteed, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
This demolishes the ceiling atop the guard market. Brandon Scherff‘s $16.5MM-per-year Jaguars deal previously held the high-water mark, but Nelson is now on his own tier at the position.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk provides a detailed breakdown, noting that $41MM is guaranteed at signing. That includes a $31MM signing bonus and fully-guaranteed base salaries of $4MM and $6MM in 2022 and ’23, respectively. But it is all but certain that Nelson will hit the $60MM in guarantees that Schefter reported, as an additional $19MM is guaranteed for injury now and becomes fully-guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2023 league year.
The Colts had extended fellow offensive linemen Ryan Kelly and Braden Smith in the last couple of years, so Nelson was, naturally, next in line. General manager Chris Ballard absolutely loves the 26-year-old, calling him a Hall of Fame left guard at times and crediting Nelson as a huge contributor to the success of running back Jonathan Taylor.
Ballard is not off-base at all in his assessment. Since being drafted sixth-overall in 2018, Nelson has been named a first-team All-Pro in every year except last season (when he was named a second-team All-Pro) and has yet to miss being nominated for a Pro Bowl. With just four seasons under his belt, Nelson has the most total All-Pro selections by a guard in franchise history for the Colts and is just the second player in team history to make the Pro Bowl in each of his first four seasons.
The dependable lineman hadn’t missed a game in his NFL career until he sat out of four contests last season (perhaps the reason he was demoted to only second-team All-Pro). A high ankle sprain caused him to miss three games and he missed a fourth game on the reserve/COVID-19 list later on in the year.
On the point of his health, the Notre Dame alum recently said, “I feel great, no surgeries this offseason. It was just a chance to really work on my body… gaining more range of motion in my joints, more flexibility.”
Talks of reaching an agreement before the start of the regular season were not sounding promising in mid-August, but the eventual deal was considered a “foregone conclusion.” Now the deal is done, and Nelson is the highest-paid guard in NFL history. Nelson is well worth the money and will look to continue his dominant play against the Texans tomorrow.
Latest On Colts’ Quenton Nelson Extension Talks
The top priority remaining this offseason for the Colts is a deal which will keep left guard Quenton Nelson on the books for the foreseeable future. The All-Pro lineman is set to play on the fifth-year option this season, but could very well have a massive extension finalized by the time the regular season starts.
While a new contract “does not sound imminent” at this time, according to Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star, owner Jim Irsay is remaining confident that one will be in place soon. “I see that getting done,” he said when asked about the status of negotiations.
The Colts are eyeing a second contract for the 26-year-old by the end of August, keeping in line with standard club practice on substantial deals signed in recent years. CBS’ Joel Corry aptly calls it a “foregone conclusion” that Nelson will become the league’s highest-paid interior blocker once the deal is done – a title which currently belongs to Jaguars guard Brandon Scherff ($16.5MM per year). The question of whether Nelson will break the $20MM-per-year threshold, as only three left tackles have done, has been raised with talks ongoing.
Irsay added that, “it’s just a question of timing, and moving towards an agreement, like I always say, that favors both sides and is good for both sides. But you know we’ve never had a problem there when you look at the history of our franchise and our outstanding players going into second contracts, whether it’s been Reggie Wayne or Marvin Harrison or whoever.”
Corry observes that the Colts could be further incentivized to commit to a long-term deal since multiple franchise tags would carry a similar cost to the average of even a record-breaking multi-year extension. As Nelson still played at a Pro Bowl level last season despite dealing with multiple injuries, a major investment in him would still be considered a wise one by the Colts.
On the point of his health, the Notre Dame alum said, “I feel great, no surgeries this offseason. It was just a chance to really work on my body… gaining more range of motion in my joints, more flexibility.”
With Nelson in a good place health-wise and the Colts in better position than most teams with respect to cap space in the immediate future, an extension being finalized may well just be a matter of time at this point.
Colts Targeting August Quenton Nelson Extension; Kenny Moore Deal Tabled To 2023?
Ryan Kelly and Braden Smith each signed their extensions during Colts training camp, the former in September 2020 and the latter in July of last year. The team is hoping to have Quenton Nelson follow that path.
The Colts’ goal is to have Nelson signed by the end of this month, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. All other extension business is on hold. This includes Kenny Moore, who lobbied for a new contract this offseason, and Bobby Okereke, whom Fowler adds has emerged on the team’s extension radar. A 2019 third-round pick, Okereke is entering a contract year.
Nelson, who is 4-for-4 in Pro Bowl nods to start his career, is going into his fifth-year option season ($13.75MM). Neither Kelly nor Smith played a game on an expiring contract, with the former signing ahead of his fifth season and the latter before his fourth. This trio forms the core of what has been one of the NFL’s best offensive lines, and Nelson’s looming extension has undoubtedly influenced other Colts moves up front. Eric Fisher is gone, and the team also did not bring back four-year guard starter Mark Glowinski. Low-cost players are now in place at left tackle and right guard, respectively.
[RELATED: Assessing The Colts’ 2022 Offseason]
Colts GM Chris Ballard earmarked this offseason as the point in which a Nelson extension should come to pass, but Nelson’s age (26) and early-career performance do provide some complications here. The Notre Dame product’s second contract should be well north of the current guard salary ceiling (Brandon Scherff‘s $16.5MM-per-year Jaguars deal). Nelson taking the guard market to tackle territory and past $20MM per year should be considered in play.
If the parties cannot agree on a deal this year, the Colts have the option of a 2023 franchise tag. Guards are rarely tagged, as all O-line positions are grouped together on the tag, but the Commanders used this route with Scherff in 2020 and 2021.
With the Colts’ top two skill-position players — Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman Jr. — going into contract years in 2023, the team’s offense could become far more expensive by next year. On defense, Moore’s deal will need to be addressed by then. Under contract for two more seasons, Moore skipped some of Indy’s voluntary offseason program. Offseason reports indicated the sides were well apart on terms. Currently tied to an $8.33MM-per-year deal, Moore should be expected to move the slot cornerback position into eight-figure-AAV territory. But he could well have to play another season on his current pact, with Ballard not expected to consider an extension until next year.
The Broncos and Patriots dealt with underpaid corners with two years of team control left in the recent past. Denver gave Chris Harris an incentive package in 2018, while New England authorized a raise for Stephon Gilmore in 2020. (The Broncos gave Harris a raise in 2019, while the Patriots stood pat with Gilmore to lead him off their roster via trade last year.) The latter is now Moore’s teammate and attached to a bigger contract. Moore, who is coming off a Pro Bowl season, has not opted to stage a hold-in measure at training camp.
Colts Planning Quenton Nelson Extension
Following their decisions to extend Ryan Kelly and Braden Smith, the Colts figured to have the same plan for their top offensive lineman. They do, and a Quenton Nelson extension — with the three-time All-Pro guard entering his fifth-year option season — shifts to the forefront in 2022.
“Quenton’s a Colt,” Colts GM Chris Ballard said, via Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star. “We want him to be a Colt long-term. When we do the contract, we’ll work through that.”
Obviously instrumental in Jonathan Taylor winning the rushing title by more than 500 yards, Nelson landing his fourth first-team All-Pro honor may well be on tap. Nelson is the only offensive lineman since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to earn such acclaim in each of his first three seasons. To lock down Nelson, the Colts will almost definitely need to authorize a guard-record contract — perhaps by a notable margin.
Joel Bitonio and Joe Thuney‘s $16MM-per-year deals represent the high-water mark at guard. Nelson should command north of $20MM annually, Erickson suggests. That would be a market-shifting accord and tie the Colts to three high-end O-line deals.
Drafted sixth overall in 2018, Nelson has teamed with Kelly and Smith to give the Colts a top-tier offensive front. The team has Kelly tied to the third-richest center deal; Smith’s pact sits fourth among right tackles. Right guard Mark Glowinski just played out a midlevel deal (three years, $16.2MM), and left tackle Eric Fisher is also set for free agency in March.
The Colts resisted moving Nelson to left tackle during Fisher’s injury hiatus, and although Chris Reed adequately replaced Nelson during his four missed games this season, Ballard confirmed Nelson is not changing positions.
“Why would you move a Hall of Fame left guard to left tackle?” Ballard said. “It makes no sense to me. And look, he’s got a ways to go to be a Hall of Famer, but why would you move a great player to left tackle? We’re not doing it.”
The franchise tag in 2023 would be an option for the Colts, should they have second thoughts about a market-topping extension. The team has not operated that way under Ballard, having not used the tag since 2013. Indianapolis is projected to rank among the top 10 in cap space going into the 2022 league year.
NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 12/29/21
Several key players returned to practice Wednesday. Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from around the league:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: P Andy Lee
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: OLB Devon Kennard
Atlanta Falcons
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Jonathan Bullard, S Jaylinn Hawkins, TE Hayden Hurst
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: OL Willie Beavers
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Chris Board, LB Tyus Bowser, LB Justin Houston, S Geno Stone, LB Kristian Welch
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: OT David Sharpe, QB Christ Streveler
Buffalo Bills
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Cole Beasley, WR Gabriel Davis, DE A.J. Epenesa, OL Jon Feliciano
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: OL Dennis Daley, G Pat Elflein
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: DE Austin Larkin
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Haason Reddick, QB P.J. Walker
Cincinnati Bengals
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Mike Thomas
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Germaine Pratt
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: QB Nick Mullens
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Trysten Hill, S Malik Hooker
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: RB JaQuan Hardy, WR Brandon Smith
Denver Broncos
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: C Lloyd Cushenberry
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: T Calvin Anderson, WR Tim Patrick, S Caden Sterns
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Tyrie Cleveland
Detroit Lions
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Trinity Benson, T Matt Nelson, WR Quintez Cephus
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Michael Brockers, G Halapoulivaati Vaitai
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Geronimo Allison
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: OT Cole Van Lanen
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Henry Black, TE Tyler Davis, DL Kingsley Keke, P Cody Bojorquez
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Jayson Stanley
Houston Texans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Maliek Collins, WR Brandin Cooks, K Ka’imi Fairbairn, LB Jonathan Greenard, LB Kamu Grugier-Hill, LB Neville Hewitt, LB Jordan Jenkins, DL Jaleel Johnson, DL Roy Lopez, DB A.J. Moore, S Eric Murray, LB Derek Rivers, LB Eric Wilson, C Justin Britt, G Lane Taylor
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Cre’Von LeBlanc
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Ron’Dell Carter, WR Chris Moore
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: K Dominik Eberle
Indianapolis Colts
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: G Mark Glowinski, G Quenton Nelson, DE Kemoko Turay, DB Rock Ya-Sin, TE Farrod Green
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: QB James Morgan, TE Eli Wolf
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Jaydon Mickens, LB Dylan Moses, LT Cam Robinson, S Johnathan Ford
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Josh Hammond
Kansas City Chiefs
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Travis Kelce, K Harrison Butker, CB Rashad Fenton, P Tommy Townsend, S Armani Watts
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: LB Darius Harris
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: G Jermaine Eluemunor, CB Brandon Facyson, S Roderic Teamer
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Kendal Vickers, TE Darren Waller (story)
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: G Lester Cotton, G Jeremiah Poutasi
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: OLB Joey Bosa, WR Jalen Guyton, CB Kemon Hall, C Corey Linsley, DB Trey Marshall, LB Cole Christiansen
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Kenneth Murray, T Storm Norton
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Raymond Calais
Miami Dolphins
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Cethan Carter, CB Justin Coleman, G Robert Jones, OL Greg Mancz, LB Duke Riley, WR Lynn Bowden
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: C Spencer Pulley
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Dalvin Cook
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Tye Smith
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Patrick Jones II
New England Patriots
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Rhamondre Stevenson, OLB Harvey Langi
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Ja’Whaun Bentley, LB Matt Judon
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Demario Davis, QB Taysom Hill, QB Trevor Siemian, LB Kwon Alexander, LB Kaden Elliss, S J.T. Gray, OT Jordan Mills, OG James Carpenter, DT Christian Ringo, TE Adam Trautman, S Jeff Heath
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Marcus Williams
New York Giants
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Keion Crossen, DB Adoree’ Jackson, WR John Ross
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Dexter Lawrence
New York Jets
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Michael Carter II, DT Folorunso Fatukasi, QB Joe Flacco, DL Jonathan Marshall, LB Hamsah Nasirildeen, TE Kenny Yeboah
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: LB Noah Dawkins, CB Lamar Jackson, DL Tanzel Smart
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Ken Webster
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Le’Raven Clark, T Andre Dillard, DE Tarron Jackson, DE Ryan Kerrigan
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Rico Bussey
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Bryan Mone, CB D.J. Reed
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Michael Jackson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Jamel Dean, WR Mike Evans, CB Sean Murphy-Bunting, WR Breshad Perriman
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Taylor Lewan, DB Elijah Molden, G Rodger Saffold
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: ILB Jayon Brown, OLB Bud Dupree, WR Julio Jones, DB Buster Skrine, WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun
Washington Football Team
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Darryl Roberts
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: OL Beau Benzschawel, T David Steinmetz
Colts Reached Out To Philip Rivers
The NFL revising its COVID-19 protocols yet again may allow the Colts to dodge a bullet. Carson Wentz is unvaccinated and tested positive Tuesday, but Frank Reich said he would start Sunday if he is asymptomatic, Stephen Holder of The Athletic tweets. Current Colts backup Sam Ehlinger would start if Wentz is experiencing symptoms at that point.
Reich has also remained in contact with the Colts’ 2020 starter, Philip Rivers. The two discussed the current Colts QB bind, Zak Keefer of The Athletic tweets. However, it does not seem like Rivers will come out of retirement to replace Wentz. Reich said nothing is developing on that front.
Rivers, 40, retired after spending last season with the Colts, but the current high school coach has said he would consider a return to join a contender. He was open to joining the Saints once Jameis Winston went down earlier this season. In his one Colts season, Rivers completed 68% of his passes and finished with a 24-to-11 TD-INT ratio. The Colts traded for Wentz not long after Rivers’ retirement.
Had the NFL not revised its protocols for a second time this month, Wentz would be shut down for Week 17 due to his positive test. Previously, unvaccinated players who tested positive were forced into 10-day quarantines. The NFL has reduced that to five, opening the door for Wentz to play Sunday. A sixth-round rookie, Ehlinger took first-team reps for a stretch after Wentz went down with a foot injury during training camp.
The Colts received more good news regarding their COVID-19 situation Wednesday. They activated offensive line starters Quenton Nelson and Mark Glowinski, along with cornerback Rock Ya-Sin and defensive end Kemoko Turay. However, right tackle Braden Smith is now on Indianapolis’ virus list. Smith could rejoin his teammates Sunday, however, regardless of vaccination status. Like Wentz, if Smith is not displaying symptoms, he could return Sunday against the Raiders. Smith was the Colts’ lone O-line starter available by the end of Week 16, but the team will have more of its starters on hand against Las Vegas.
Marlon Mack, cornerback T.J. Carrie, safety Jahleel Addae and linebacker Malik Jefferson join Smith as players now on Indy’s virus list.
NFL COVID List Updates: 12/24/21
We’ve compiled a list of players who were placed on or activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list today. In some instances, players activated from the list remain on IR:
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: S Chuck Clark, C Trystan Colon
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: RB Nate McCrary
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: QB Chris Streveler
Buffalo Bills
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: T Bobby Hart
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Gabriel Davis, G Cody Ford
Chicago Bears
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Bilal Nichols
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Mike Thomas
Cleveland Browns
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB A.J. Green, QB Case Keenum, WR Jarvis Landry, QB Baker Mayfield, DE Ifeadi Odenigbo
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: K Chase McLaughlin, DT Jordan Elliott
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: S Tedric Thompson
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Jourdan Lewis, WR Simi Fehoko
Denver Broncos
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: LB Barrington Wade
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Kenny Clark
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Chauncey Rivers
Indianapolis Colts
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: G Quenton Nelson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Josh Allen, WR Laviska Shenault, OL Ben Bartch
Kansas City Chiefs
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Blake Bell
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19: P Tommy Townsend
Los Angeles Chargers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Justin Jones
Los Angeles Rams
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Jordan Fuller, TE Tyler Higbee
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: OL Cole Williamson
Miami Dolphins
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: RB Gerrid Doaks
New England Patriots
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Rhamondre Stevenson
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Demario Davis, DB J.T. Gray, T Ryan Ramczyk, RB Dwayne Washington
New York Giants
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: S J.R. Reed, OLB Oshane Ximines
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: C Jonotthan Harrison
New York Jets
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Jeff Smith, CB Justin Hardee
- Placed from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Ryan Griffin
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: OL Landon Dickerson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Montravius Adams
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Isaiah Buggs
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Travis Homer
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: OL Pier-Olivier Lestage
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Dez Fitzpatrick
- Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: DB Jamal Carter
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: T Taylor Lewan
Washington Football Team
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: QB Kyle Allen, S Kamren Curl, LB Milo Eifler, CB Kendall Fuller
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Nate Orchard
Colts Place Quenton Nelson On Reserve/COVID-19 List
The Colts will be without their entire interior offensive line Saturday. After they ruled out Ryan Kelly and Mark Glowinski, the Colts placed Quenton Nelson on their reserve/COVID-19 list.
A three-time All-Pro, Nelson is Indianapolis’ top offensive lineman and arguably the NFL’s premier guard. But, after Glowinski’s positive coronavirus test, Nelson will not be with the team in Arizona, either.
Indianapolis has dealt with availability issues across its O-line this season, but this will be a task for Carson Wentz, Jonathan Taylor and Co. Nelson did miss three games earlier this year, and he underwent foot surgery during training camp. But the former top-10 pick came back in Week 7 and had not missed any time since. Nelson became a four-time Pro Bowler this week and is on track toward a record-setting guard extension in 2022.
FiveThirtyEight.com pegs the Colts’ playoff chances at 89% going into Week 16, but the 8-6 team’s depth will be tested. The Colts used Chris Reed in place of Nelson earlier this season. Reed will start in Nelson’s place, per Frank Reich, who said Matt Pryor will fill in for Glowinski at right guard.
If Nelson is unvaccinated, he would miss the Colts’ Week 17 game — against the Raiders — as well. Nelson was unvaccinated going into the season, having been a close contact before Week 1.
Colts OLs Ryan Kelly, Mark Glowinski To Miss Saturday’s Game
The Colts continue to climb the AFC standings, but they’ll have to take on the formidable Cardinals on Saturday without two starting linemen. According to The Athletic’s Stephen Holder (on Twitter), linemen Ryan Kelly (personal) and Mark Glowinski (reserve/COVID-19 list) will both miss this weekend’s game.
Kelly was just named to his third-straight Pro Bowl, and the 28-year-old is having another standout season for Indy. He’s appeared in at least 90 percent of his team’s offensive snaps in his 12 starts. 2020 fifth-round pick Danny Pinter will likely get the start in place of Kelly.
Glowinski was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list earlier today. The former fourth-round pick has generally been a starter throughout his time with the Colts, and he’s started 12 of his 14 games in 2021. Chris Reed could get the nod in Glowinski’s stead.
While the team’s going to have to deal with some absences on their offensive lineman, they can rest easy knowing All-Pro Quenton Nelson will be in uniform. Per Holder, the offensive lineman was back at practice today after dealing with an illness earlier this week.
In other injury news, Holder notes that the team will also be without Andrew Sendejo (concussion) on Saturday. The 34-year-old defensive back joined the Colts back in September, and he’s started 10 of his 12 games this season. collecting 40 tackles.